World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Zhao Wenyuan was silent for a moment: "But we held on, Captain. Without those forty minutes, there would have been no victory later on."

"I know." Lin Haisheng let out a long sigh. "I just... feel sorry for those kids. The youngest was only seventeen. Li Daming's class, twelve people, all gone. Right there in Turret C..."

He didn't go on.

Zhao Wenyuan walked to his side and looked at the life rafts floating on the sea outside. Some of the lifeboats launched by the Huaihe were rescuing survivors.

"I just received news that Major General Zhang Zhen has been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the East China Sea Front." Zhao Wenyuan changed the subject. "The Commander-in-Chief appointed him personally."

Lin Hai nodded: "Of course. He commanded this battle brilliantly."

"He even specifically ordered the Jiangsu ship to tow us back so you could get some rest."

"Rest?" Lin Hai smiled wryly. "More than three hundred brothers are lying in the cold storage. How can I rest?"

Neither of them spoke again. Only the low hum of machinery and the faint voices of people in the distance filled the bridge. The tilting deck made standing difficult, but they were used to it.

A few minutes later, the tow cable was connected. The Jiangsu began to slowly exert force, and the massive hull of the Fuxing was towed, leaving a white contrail on the sea.

"Heading 180, speed 8 knots," reported navigator Zhou Zhiwei, his voice weary. "We expect to arrive in Pontianak in four days."

Four days. Lin Hai looked at the nautical chart, from the East China Sea to the South China Sea, and then to Borneo. When it arrived, the Fuxing bullet train was full of vigor, carrying the hopes of the officers and soldiers and the cameras of reporters. When it returned, it was battered and bruised, carrying the remains of the fallen.

"Notify the entire ship," Lin Hai said to Zhao Wenyuan, "we...are going home."

The Yangtze River warship's operations conference room, 9:30 a.m.

The captains of the four Bismarck-class ships, along with the commander of the Omaha task force, a total of eight senior officers, sat around the operations room of the Yangtze. A large East China Sea nautical chart was spread out in the center of the table, with the latest situation marked on it in red and blue pencil.

Zhang Zhen sat in the main seat, holding a pencil in his hand, gently tapping the table.

"Gentlemen, the battle briefing has just been distributed. Now we face several key issues." His gaze swept over everyone present. "First, how to expand our gains; second, how to deal with a possible counterattack from Japan; and third, how to plan our next strategic move."

Captain Wang Zhenguo of the Yellow River Navy spoke first: "Sir, I think we should concentrate our forces to pursue the fleeing enemy group from the Katori. That is the largest remaining surface fleet of the Japanese army. If we can wipe them out, the Japanese navy will truly be dead in the East China Sea."

"I agree." Captain Zhou Weiguo of the Huaihe nodded. "But we must be careful. Although the Katori is an old battleship, it still has four 305mm main guns. Moreover, its escape to the northeast is likely an attempt to return to Sasebo or Kure. There are coastal defense batteries there for cover."

Captain Li Qiang of the Pearl River, a resolute-faced officer in his early forties, offered a different perspective: "I believe we should turn westward and directly threaten the Japanese mainland. Now that the main force of the Combined Fleet has been destroyed, the coast of Japan is almost undefended. We can bombard naval ports like Yokosuka and Kure, destroying their shipbuilding capacity and logistical bases." (The last three ships of the Kongo-class were built in Japan, so Japan at this time already had the capability to build battleships.)

This suggestion caused a stir in the meeting room.

"It's too risky." Chen Haifeng, commander of the Omaha flotilla, shook his head. "We only have four capital ships. Although each ship is powerful, the number is too small. Japan has more than a dozen major naval ports, each with its own coastal defense batteries. What if we're surrounded..."

"But this is also the best opportunity," Li Qiang insisted. "The morale of the Japanese navy is currently collapsed and its organization is in disarray. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity to deliver a greater blow, it will be difficult to have such a good opportunity again once they recover and rebuild their command system."

Zhang Zhen listened quietly without interrupting. His gaze moved across the nautical chart, from the East China Sea to the Japanese archipelago, then to Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.

"Report!" The conference room door opened, and the communications officer walked in. "Urgent message from the submarine force!"

"read."

"Our submarine U-19 reports that at 9:08 AM today, in the area of ​​30°15′N, 128°40′E, the Japanese battleship 'Kawachi' was spotted fleeing northwest under the escort of two destroyers. U-19, along with U-22 and U-25, launched a coordinated ambush, firing twelve torpedoes, four of which were confirmed to have hit. The 'Kawachi' is taking on severe flooding on its starboard side, listing, and is currently slowly sinking. The two escorting destroyers are organizing a rescue operation but have not been able to effectively counter our submarine."

A low cheer erupted in the conference room.

"Well done!" Wang Zhenguo slammed his hand on the table.

Zhang Zhen smiled and said, "Report back to the submarine force: 'Brilliant results! Keep up the good work. Be careful and avoid exposure.'"

"yes!"

This news changed the atmosphere of the meeting. Although the Hanoi was an old battleship, its sinking meant that the Combined Fleet had lost another capital ship. More importantly, it demonstrated that the submarine blockade and hunt were effective.

"Now the situation is clearer." Zhang Zhen stood up and walked to the nautical chart. "The combined fleet is in complete disarray, and command is chaotic. Their primary objective is to escape back to their home port, not to organize a counterattack."

He drew several circles on the nautical chart with a pencil: "My judgment is: first, the Katori fleet will flee to Sasebo or Kure; second, the smaller ships that disperse and escape will seek refuge in the nearest port."

He paused, then looked at the officers present: "So my decision is: First, the Omaha formation will continue to pursue the Shantori, but will not attempt to sink it. Its main objective will be to drive it away and harass it, preventing it from effectively organizing a retreat."

Chen Haifeng stood at attention: "Understood!"

"Second, the main fleet—" Zhang Zhen's gaze swept over the four battleship captains, "After completing the rescue and reorganization, maneuver northward to reach the waters off the coast of Japan. But we will not launch a full-scale attack; instead, we will conduct deterrent patrols outside the range of our coastal defense guns."

"Deterrent patrols?" Li Qiang asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes." Zhang Zhen nodded. "We need to let Japan know that our warships are right outside their door. We need to make them live in fear every moment, paralyze their ports, and disrupt their shipping. At the same time, this will also give us leverage in our subsequent negotiations."

"Negotiations?" Zhou Weiguo asked.

Zhang Zhen returned to his seat and picked up a document: "This is the instruction the President gave me before the war. The purpose of this war is not to destroy Japan, but to eliminate their ability to challenge us, force them to acknowledge our interests in Southeast Asia, and obtain reparations and strategic resources. Therefore, military operations must serve political objectives."

He paused, then continued, "If we launch a full-scale attack on the Japanese mainland now, it will have two consequences: First, it will ignite their determination to fight to the death, since the losses from a landing operation will be enormous; second, it will deplete our precious warships and personnel, giving other countries an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."